The Smallest of Birds
by pirateenthusiast
Summary: Elise the Siren, an infamous pirate with a brother even more so. Under the command of Lord Beckett she shall recover the one thing he desires, but not without the accompaniment of Commodore Norington. This story takes place within the plot of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest without Elizabeth Swan or Will Turner.
1. Chapter 1

A heavy feeling had befallen the town of Port Royal. The humidity clung to the air, every breath feeling dense, weighing down the lungs of those who inhaled it. Then again, this was normal for the city nestled in the Caribbean. What made the citizens of Port Royal so uneasy were the squads of British soldiers searching the city; every shop and house on the island. Piracy was common among these parts, and the citizens had grown accustomed to the many hangings and man-hunts for those charged with it.

However, there was something odd about this particular hunt. The city government had not provided a single scrap of information regarding the wanted criminal; no name, no picture, nothing. They had not even informed the citizens that it was indeed a pirate-hunt, they only assumed it to be that. The soldiers had only told the people to remain in their homes.

And it was not just the residents of Port Royal who were confused. The soldiers found their orders quite unusual. Never had they been instructed with absolute strictness to avoid killing the suspect, let alone assure no harm came to them. Soldiers had always been allowed – no, encouraged – to rough up pirates when apprehending them. What made this one different?

Within the southern district, a cloaked figure hid in the shadows, hood drawn and dark eyes glinting, reflecting the fire of the torch a nearby soldier held. He had finished ordering an old woman out of her home so that he may search it. The figure watched silently as the old woman clutched her shawl around her shoulders, dressed in only a nightgown. She winced as she heard the audible shattering of her possessions echoing from within her house.

A soldier accompanying the first casted a quick glance about the surrounding houses and then retreated to join his comrade. The figure took advantage of this, and crept from out from the alleyway in which they had concealed themselves. The old lady caught eye of the revealed figure and her aging eyes widened. Casting a shadowy smile at the woman, the suspected-pirate pulled back the forest green cloak to expose a strapped blunderbuss. A thin finger pointed to lips, encouraging the woman's silence. While the stunned woman stared on in complete stillness, the figure turned on heel and slinked further south.

Leathered boots on cobblestone made no noise, and even the figure's breaths were soft and controlled. The air grew putrid with the smell of rotting fish and washed up seaweed, indicating that Port Royal's harbor was quite near. The cloaked suspect's pace quickened, nearing a full sprint. Hooded eyes locked on a ship not far from the docks and their speed increased. Agile feet leapt over crates of fish and carried the pirate closer to the edge of the docks.

Cries from the district behind caused them to stop and duck behind a large stack of shipments. As the din from the soldiers grew quiet, they rounded the corner of the boxes to find a sharp blade at their slender throat.

"Reveal yourself." Barked the possessor of the sword whose uniform and badges conveyed him to be a captain of the guard.

The hood was drawn back, and long hair tumbled down slender shoulders. Mischievous eyes glinted in the torchlight of the crowd of soldiers gathering around their leader. "Good evening sirs." the soft voice piped innocently.

"Elise the Siren." The man proclaimed, and she grinned. "You are under arrest by orders of the Crown."

"The Crown? Hasn't good ol' William have other things to worry about than little me?" She asked, feigning genuine curiosity.

"Not him ma'am." Spoke one of the surrounding soldiers. Elise's charade of innocence dripped away as she eyed the man, looking to be no older than nineteen. He suddenly felt very small with her hazel eyes trained upon him. He stumbled through his words as he continued, "Lord Beckett issued your warrant."

Something flickered across her face that the soldiers could not pinpoint, but just as quickly her face broke into a triumphant smirk, as though she had just beaten them all at a game they were unaware they were playing. She held her wrists out and whispered to the young solider, "Then we mustn't keep him waiting."

The pirate was led by chains through the lower district. Residents of the port town lined the streets to watch as Elise was marched past. The iron cuffs clamped around her slim wrists were loose enough for her to wriggle free from, but she left them there. She smiled at the staring faces around her, humming an unknown tune. It was composed of long sweet notes, but possessed an eerie sense that put many of the citizens on edge. None of them spat or threw rotten produce at Elise, which was customary when a pirate was being paraded to jail. However, Elise was heading towards the Governor's Mansion, rather than Bridewell Prison, and so the people were silent in their confusion, only watching as the woman passed.

The lines of spectators grew nonexistent as they neared their destination. The people had returned home, the tolls of the bells ringing throughout the city declaring that it was very late. There was nothing more to learn about the mysterious pirate woman tonight, and they would await to hear of a probable hanging at dawn.

Elise was placed in large room on the second floor of the mansion after having her sword, blunderbuss, and even the small knife concealed in her boot confiscated. The two guards closed the door behind them, and she could hear them settling on either side. She made her way to the window that held a view of the lower districts and out into the harbor. Far in the distance she could see the ship still awaiting her, and she smiled to herself.

In the center of the room was a large wooden table with a map and many sheets of paper strewn about. She ran her hand along the edge, of the map, tracing the blue paint which indicated the ocean. Her eyes darted to a piece of paper written in strange characters – a code. She furrowed her brows as she attempted to decipher it but gave up quickly.

Instead, she strode over to a mirror against the wall. She looked her reflection up and down and clicked her tongue at its disheveled appearance, as her mother would have done. The pirate chuckled to herself about how far she had strayed from her mother's wishes for her only daughter. She recalled her mother swooning over how Elise looked in a dress and how the boys watched her when she walked through the town. Now Elise only wore her leather boots and the trousers, dirtied shirt and cloak she had stolen from her father's closet. It was most likely when her mother noticed the disappearance of her husband's blunderbuss had she realized her daughter had left, just as her husband and son had left. Elise's father had always told her than seawater runs through their veins.

Elise ran her fingers through her long hair streaked with sunshine and gnarled with sea spray, its chestnut hue inherited from her mother rather than the raven locks of her father. Her skin was tanned and splattered with freckles and her hands were rough and worn from endless work manning the ship. She rubbed at the dark circles under her eyes and sighed at the women in the mirror, understanding how far she had come from the woman her mother wanted her to be. Elise felt no remorse.

Behind her the wooden door creaked open and close again. She turned to see a man clothed in an immaculate uniform. He stood and watched her, hands clasped behind his back in formality. His face was more beautiful than handsome and was nearly void of all emotion, but Elise could see something in his eyes. They studied her, holding something resembling amusement. "Miss Elise." He bowed his head, regarding her as though she was a lady of nobility and not a criminal held in arrest.

The woman smiled. She rounded the table, pressing her palms into the polished wood as she leaned against it. "Lord Beckett." She replied, mimicking his stiffness. "Might we dispose of these formalities, they're terribly proper."

Smiling, the man took slow steps toward her, "It is good to see you again."

Elise tilted her head to the side and remarked casually, "I heard you wanted to see me."

"I heard you robbed the royal library." He countered

"It was only a few trinkets."

"A chalice from the Greco-Roman Age is not a trinket, Elise."

She shrugged, "How else was I to get your attention."

The King's man was now right before her, so close that the polished silver buttons on his cuffs grazed her exposed forearms. "There are other ways than thievery to accomplish that, Miss Elise." He pointed, eyes still studying her.

Elise straightened up and ran her hands along the delicate embroidery of Beckett's coat as she spoke softly, "Issuing a warrant for my arrest, sending your guards after me… you must have really missed me Beck." She raised an eyebrow at his lack of response and moved her fingers to his chest where she thumbed the cotton needle-work of his shirt. "Who could blame you, I always seem to be vanishing from right underneath your nose," she yanked him closer to her, his breath warm on her face. "or from under other places."

After a moment of palpable silence, their lips crashed together. His hand cupped the back of her neck as hers ran down from his chest. Further and further down until she reached deep and curled her fingers around what she had found in his coat pocket. She spun out of his arms and swiftly unrolled the tied scroll of paper. As her eyes ran across the page her triumphant smile melted away. She looked up with eyes narrowed and questioned, "Why have you brought me here Beckett?"

The man wiped at his lips with his thumb and answered, "We need your help."

"'We?'" she scoffed.

"We: The East India Trading Company; the government of England; the Crown." He said quickly. After a pause he continued, " _I_ need your help." Elise remained silent, eying him cautiously. "I need something from your brother."

"Why would I help you capture my brother?" She spat.

The lord nodded to the scroll of paper in her hands. "That is a royal pardon, for both you and your brother. All it needs is my signature, and I will happily provide it if you bring him to us."

She sneered, "What makes you think we want that."

"A life free from persecution? Free from the threat of imprisonment? Free to sail about the seas and do as you see fit? You may think yourself an enigmatic woman but even I can guess that."

"And if I refuse?"

"We pursue him regardless, and the detail of his survival becomes trivial. And you, my dear Elise, will be named a traitor of the crown, and will never be able to set foot on land without a squadron of soldiers waiting to serve justice; a long drop with a short stop." Lord Beckett placed his hands behind his back once more, knowing he had her. Elise may very well have been the cleverest pirate Lord Beckett had ever met, but he was renowned for his silver tongue and way of convincing others to do his bidding.

Elise's face grew stony, losing its snark, a look Beckett knew to be of defeat. Solemnly, she spoke, "What would you have me do?"

Beckett smiled, like a parent praising their child. "I would have you go to Jack Sparrow and recover a certain property in his possession."

Elise's mind immediately shifted to the ship with black sails that her brother cherished. "So, the East India Trading Company is hoping to add the Black Pearl to its shipyard." She mused.

Lord Beckett cocked his head to the side, "The Black Pearl?"

"That is what you want from Jack, isn't it?"

He smiled and shook his head at the mistaken girl. "A ship? Hardly. The item in question is considerably smaller and far more valuable. Something Sparrow keeps on his person at all times." Elise furrowed her brows in confusion, not understanding what he was hinting at. Beckett decided to end the guessing game he had ensued as he stated, "A compass."

This cleared up no confusion for the young woman. It had been many years since she had seen her brother since his leaving their little home in England. Once she caught glimpse of him in a tavern in Tortuga, but at that time she had been masquerading as a young boy from Ireland so that she may join the ranks of a pirate crew. Approaching him would have jeopardized it all, though she desperately wished to.

She had no knowledge of this compass and could not understand why Lord Beckett would covet such a thing. Surely whatever compasses held with the royal navy vastly outvalued whatever trinket a pirate held on his person. Unless, of course, Jack had stolen something that Beckett wanted back. _That must be the case_ thought Elise.

She thrusted the documents back at the lord and spoke sharply, "My crew and I will be prepared to set sail within the hour."

"You must dine with me tonight." Beckett stated. "Spend the night here, regain your strength."

"I prefer to be with my crew." She walked briskly toward the door but Beckett's hand caught her wrist and clutched hard. The grasp was painful, the lord's knuckles turning white as his face remained cool. Elise ignored the sharp jolts of pain shooting up her arm, remaining stone faced as he did.

"I think you forget your place, Miss Elise." He drawled. "You are still a captive pirate held under arrest. You _will_ dine with me." Elise shook her arm free of his hold and stood silently as he ordered the two soldiers guarding the door to escort her to her designated room.

Within the small candlelit room, she found upon the embroidered duvet a shimmering green dress, complete with dainty shoes and undergarments. She picked it up, eyeing the delicate stitch work of flowers and small birds. She threw it back on the bed, disgusted by the implications that she must wear such a thing to dinner. A maid softly rapped at the door before entering, stating that she was there to "help the miss bathe and into her dress."

Elise was about to furiously declare that she would do none of that until she looked at the girl standing before her. She was quite young, looking to be no older than sixteen, with small features and pale skin. She held such a look of fright and Elise knew it was her that frightened her. So, she allowed her to do her duty, permitting her to pour a hot bath and wash her admittedly filthy hair. However, she refused to let the maid do anything more than a simple braid nor wear the dress Beckett had decided she don for her dinner with him. She had sworn to herself many years ago that never again would she allow herself to be squeezed together by a corset.

And, thus, she entered the dining room of the estate in her ratted shirt and trousers and scuffed leather boots. She waltzed through the double doors opened to her by soldiers with a man's confidence. Across the large oak table was Lord Beckett waiting in his signature pose of hands behind back, watching her stride over to the chair across from him and slump down, draping her leg over one of the armrests. Retaining his poise, Beckett sat down and motioned for a nearby servant to fill their wine glasses. As the dark man filled Elise's glass a third full, she snatched the bottle from his hands and poured until the crimson liquid reached just short of the brim. The behavior stunned the man, and he cautiously accepted the now half full bottle as it was handed back to him.

Lord Beckett attempted to hold back the smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he watched the beautiful women take several deep gulps of wine before placing the glass back upon the table. Such an act would have rendered most woman inebriated, but Beckett had a suspicion that this particular one had many years of practice drinking pint for pint with the hardy men of the seas. He motioned to the feast before them and said, "Eat. I am sure it has been a quite a long time since you have had a decent meal."

He was absolutely correct, but Elise did not tell him so. Although, the ravenous way she dug into the many plates of chicken, fish, and potatoes confirmed the fact. Beckett did not touch a single dish, and only sipped his wine as he observed the woman, eyes darting over every feature, noticing the scars upon her knuckles and the freckles upon her cheeks. His eyes even wandered further down, noting that the men's shirt could not hide Elise's womanly features.

After Elise had her fill of the delicacies before her, her eyes darted up to find Beckett's trained upon her. She leaned back, "I have dined with you, do I have my freedom now?"

"My dear you are never free, not until you bring what I want." He replied. She remained quiet, fingers tracing the engravings of the knife set before her. "You will set sail tomorrow, upon a ship of your own choosing…"

" _My_ ship." She interrupted.

He nodded, granting her request. "You will be arranged a crew of Port Royal's finest sailors or you may sail with your crew if you so desire. I will be sending my finest soldier to accompany you and…"

"No." she said simply.

"I'm afraid you have no choice in this matter."

"I will not be babysat by one of your incompetent men." She spat. "My crew would gut him as soon as he boards."

"You will assure his safety; assure that no harm comes to him. You will protect him with your life." Lord Beckett stated.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because if he is so much as bruised the deal is off, and you and your brother will face the gallows."

Elise snorted, "You're bluffing."

"You intrigue me Elise, and that is why you are still alive, but do not test my patience. My interest does not stretch as far as you'd like."

The woman grew quiet, then quickly jumped to her feet and stomped out of the room, reminiscent of the tantrums she threw as a little girl. She ignored the commands of the soldiers trailing her to slow down and burst into the small room, taking the knife she swiped from the dining table and angrily stripping the feathered pillows upon the bed. After her fury subsided and the white plumes gently fell on her shoulders, she sat back on the bed and stared out the window to where that trusty ship still awaited her.

Lord Beckett's mind was trained solely on the pirate woman. The very woman who for years evaded him at every turn. She embarrassed him, mocked him, and infuriated him. And somehow, she still entertained him. She was a challenge, the one woman that did not bore him. He coveted the game they played and she was more than a worthy opponent.

And so, in his candlelit corridors, he kept his mind full of thoughts of her. He thought her hazel eyes and long flowing hair. He envisioned that very mane twisted in his hand as he gripped at the linen dress of the maid bent over his writing desk. As his hands groped at the pale and supple skin, he imagined it was the toned and tanned thigh of the pirate beneath his palm. As the young girl's weeping got louder, he clamped a hand over her mouth and imagined instead the sounds that he wanted to elicit from Elise. He wished he could be close enough to smell the sea breeze off her skin and taste the salt of the ocean off her tongue. To him, she was a great ocean storm and he wanted nothing more than to tame her.

Little did the man know that outside his door stood the very woman from his imaginings, listening to every grunt, groan, and whimper emanating from the room and shedding a silent tear for the young maid inside.


	2. Chapter 2

At dawn Elise was escorted from her chambers to the docks by four armed soldiers. By the furthest dock awaited her ship, the _Wrath of Barinthus_. She imagined Beckett must have instructed his men to sail out to her crew and inform them that she was held in custody.

Just across the narrow plank bridging the gap between the wood of the dock and the wood of her ship stood her first mate, Desiré, an escaped slave from France. He was a towering size with rippling muscles under his dark skin. He was a kind and compassionate man whose heart only grew with age, as he was beginning to grey and weaken with every rough year at sea.

Elise first met Desiré when she was aboard the _Maiden's Treasure_ when she impersonated a young boy named Sean. Desiré was the only crew member who knew her true identity, stumbling upon her trying to hide her stained trousers from when she began menstruating. He helped her throw the garments overboard and lent his spare pair of trousers, hemming them to fit her shorter size. There was not a man Elise trusted more than her first mate.

"Bonjour Madame Elise." He said gruffly, eyeing the uniformed men surrounding her fiercely.

"Always good to see your face Monsieur Desiré. Have you had the pleasure of meeting our new friends?" She asked as the shackles around her wrists were unlocked.

"Yes, they boarded our ship last night… without permission."

Elise looked to the soldiers around her and clicked her tongue disappointedly, "How rude."

"Fortunately, they were taught some manners with a few broken noses."

Elise looked expectantly at her armed escorts and asked, "Now, since you have returned me to my ship and it does not look like Lord Beckett will see me off, will you kindly return my possessions?"

Without a word, a burlap sack was dropped at her feet with the audible sound of metal crashing together. Smiling she picked it up and draped it over her shoulder. "Thank you, men, you may return to your posts." Unamused with the pirate commanding them, they remained in place. Elise threw her hand to her forehead in a mocking salute before turning on heel and boarding her ship.

"So, we're working for lords now." Desiré mused.

"No, not working _for_. With." Said Elise as she dumped the weapons on the deck. "Think of it more as a temporary contract. We deliver, and we reap the rewards."

"Those rewards being…?"

"Not being strung up like a skinned rabbit," Elise stated, sheathing her sword in its strapped scabbard on her waist. She climbed the steps to the captain's wheel and shouted down to an older man tying rope to the side of the mast, "Smith, what have you heard?"

Smith's rough voice croaked back, "Word's that there's a ship with black sails sailin' to Tortuga Cap'n."

"All right men, let's get her on the seas."

And so, the crew flung into action. The crew of the _Wrath of Barinthus_ was an odd one, composed of outcasts of every ethnicity and creed. Elise found that only a select few would agree to be captained by a woman, and all were deemed unfit for pirating by most. However, Elise found solace in this. Not only were these men grateful for the chance to sail upon the seas once more, she felt they provided advantages. Yes, many of the men were aged, but that only meant many years on knowledge about sailing and the seas, something that Elise lacked when first coming into the position of captain. The diversity of ethnicity allowed for the ability to converse anywhere, gaining information from the Spanish, French, and even native colonies within the Caribbean. Elise never claimed to have the fiercest of crews, but they made do.

Just as one of the crew members began to remove the wooden plank, a polished leather boot kept it in place. The pirate just stood and watched as a man cloaked in the colors of the crown strutted onto the deck. Soon the entire ship stared at the man with the powdered wig and elaborate navy-blue hat resting upon it. Elise noticed the failure of the crew to obey her commands and looked to see what had captured the attention of her men. Catching sight of the new body upon the deck she nodded to Desiré to take hold of the wheel as she descended the steps.

The man noticed the pirate captain and jutted his chin slightly upward, "Ah. Elise Sparrow. I am Commodore James Norrington. I am assigned to accompany you on this mission. You are to surrender the title of captain over to me and obey my orders."

Elise strutted over to him, hazel eyes slightly narrowed, scanning his entirety. He had very masculine features: a strong jawline and sharp nose. The ocean blue coat accentuated the broad shoulders they were draped upon. The commodore stood in silence as she continued to survey him. Finally, her lips broke into a smile, "Of course Commodore. It is a pleasure to have you on board." She bowed deeply and the crew members watching the exchange chuckled. "You will have to excuse my men, they are not accustomed to a man of the Crown on board. In normal circumstances, a man wearing your clothes would be strung from the rafters." Her grin broadened as she saw Norrington visibly swallow. "Not to worry my dear sir. You will be shown the respect a captain deserves. Harold, Peter." She motioned to the twins from Havana standing nearby, "Will you please show Commodore Norrington to the 'Captain's Quarters'?" The two beamed with mischief as they grabbed the man by the shoulders and led him deep into the brig.

"Do you think that is wise?" Desiré questioned.

Elise stared after Beckett's man and replied, "You know what happens to those who question my authority. This is a kindness." She glanced to her first mate who clearly didn't believe this ruthless explanation. She looked back and admitted, "He'll be safest there. You know as well as I that our men have no love for soldiers let alone commodores."

After a moment of silence, Desiré changed the subject. "Tortuga, eh?"

"Tortuga." She confirmed. "Beckett believes a family reunion is overdue." Desiré suspected Elise was withholding information, but thought it best to not dig for it. He only nodded and went about ordering the men.

The night came and the crew was asleep beneath the deck in their hammocks woven out of hemp, filling the air with snores and the mutterings of senseless dreams. Within the Captain's Quarters sat Elise at the map splayed across her desk. She propped her feet upon the southeast corner and spun a small knife between her fingers, deep in thought. She wondered what would happen if she found Jack. Would he recognize her? Had he even thought about her since leaving her and her mother? Even darker questions began to surface. Would he agree to help her? Would he trust her? What if he thought her a traitor and tried to kill her? Elise did not know if she would be able to fight let alone kill her older brother.

Angered by these unanswered questions she stabbed the map with the knife and stood abruptly. She began to climb deep into the belly of the ship, past the slumbering men and the barrels of gun powder and rum. In the furthest corner, she found the single cell. Inside sat Norrington upon the suspended bench which he had cushioned with the loose straw scattering the cell's floor.

"Good evening Commodore." Greeted Elise gripping the steel cage, smiling down at him.

She had obviously startled him based on his expression, but he quickly regained his composure. "Captain Elise." He replied respectfully.

She raised an eyebrow. "Trying to earn favor Norrington? If any of the men ask you, this is your punishment for challenging my title, but, in truth, this is for your protection."

"I don't believe I need protection from old men and Spaniards." He scoffed.

"Half these men have death sentences issued by the crown for more crimes than piracy and the rest have yet to be identified for their terrible deeds. Be my guest to find out who is what." She replied seriously. She snatched the key dangling from her belt and unlocked the cell, the hinges squeaking as they swung open. The commodore stared in confusion. "Come, you will stay in my cabin."

It took several seconds for Norrington to acquire enough sense to follow her up the stairs. As they passed through the crew's quarters he whispered, "I don't think it is appropriate for us to sleep in the same bed."

"Sleep on the floor, then." She whipped her around to look at him, "unless you prefer the cell?" Norrington did not answer and continued to follow behind. When they reached the cabin, Elise handed him a woolen blanket to use where he saw fit, which turned out to be right beside her bed.

"Why would you sleep there? If I decide to get up I'll trip over you." She complained.

Norrington opened one eye to look at her, "You forget my purpose here. I am to keep an eye on you to ensure your side of the bargain is held."

Elise huffed, then rolled on to her stomach, peeking her head over the bed. "Can I at least call you James? I think that since we are living in such close quarters now we should be on a first-name basis."

"No."

"What about Norrie?"

"Definitely not." She chuckled at her own wit then rolled back onto her side, sighing a "goodnight James" with the soldier's silence as the only response.

Deep into the night Norrington awoke to find the blade of a dagger at his throat. Elise's soft voice spoke from the darkness, "You trust too easily Commodore. A smile and a false act of kindness and you let your guard crumble." She clicked her tongue, and pressed the blade further, a drop of blood forming at its sharp edge. "You must remember that you are now in the company of pirates."

"So, you're going to kill me?" he questioned.

"I would love to. But you, unfortunately, are vital to the bargain with Beckett, so, for now, you are under my protection. But remember, even a saint like myself has her limits." The pirate withdrew the dagger. "Do not test them."

Several days upon the sea passed as they grew ever closer to the town of Tortuga. Commodore Norrington remained at the side of Elise at all times, rarely speaking but always watching her. The crew was uneasy with the man so constant in her presence, but none more so than Desiré. He found it hard to leave the two so that he may carry out his duties as first mate, but he would not dare disobey Elise. So, he worked hard at maintaining the ship, but always threw worried glances over to the helm.

It was during one of the rare occasions that Elise was able to coerce conversation out of the commodore that he began to reveal more about himself. Elise had begun to delve into the topic of ship names and their importance. "The name a ship bares reveals the character of her captain. Names such as _the Duchess_ or _the Wench's Skirt_ fail to present the captain as anything more than an old drunkard with a taste for uninterested women. Now, names like _the Queen Anne's Revenge_ or _the Black Pearl_ … those are names that'll strike fear into the hearts of the Crown's royal navy." She laughed.

"And why choose the _Wrath of Barinthus_?" the commodore questioned, looking out on the worn ship that Elise obviously procured second-hand.

"Barinthus is the Celtic god of the sea, who's wrath was thought to be untamable. Men and women alike would weep to the Dagda to restrain the god so that their sons at sea would return safely, for Barinthus himself could not be reasoned with or appeased. He craved only one thing, to enact revenge upon the men who sought to tame the ocean. However, legend has it that there was one thing that was able to quell the raging sea god…"

"Ah. The tale of Aileen and Iollan."

"You've heard it before?" Elise asked, looking mystified.

"My father was a ship hand for the British Fishing Company. He told many stories like this." Elise sat silent. "Isn't it that the tale goes that Aileen, the daughter of Irelands largest fishing trader, met Iollan at the docks of Dingle. Their love was instant, powerful and the two had planned to elope to the southern Isles to be together. However, Aileen's father discovered the young lovers and, due to his political position, had the boy exiled to the plantations of Havana." He paused and Elise nodded, encouraging him further.

"Aileen wept for a fortnight, collecting the tears within a glass jar. On the eve of the fourteenth night, she travelled to the cliffs overlooking the Celtic sea and poured her tears into the raging waters and prayed that she be taken to her love. She stole a fishing boat from her father's shipyard and began to sail towards the Caribbean. Her father had discovered her and the boat gone and sent his men after her. However, while the sea stormed more viciously than ever seen before, the waters around Aileen were calm and still. All ships following her were lost to the black depths of the ocean floor and Iollan and Aileen were reunited."

Elise looked impressed at the man's knowledge of Celtic mythology. "I did not choose the name the _Wrath of Barinthus_ for its tale of love, Commodore Norrington."

"I would imagine not."

"Barinthus allowed a woman to sail upon the seas to find what she most desired. In an age of men, I would like to think I have the wrath of such a god on my side, for, as I said before, he wishes to inflict it on all men who seek to conquer the ocean. Not women."

The two stood quietly for several moments, each watching each other intently, attempting to decode what the other might be thinking. The silence was broken by Desiré's gruff voice shouting from across the deck. "Ship approaching! She looks like she wants to board us!"

"Load the cannons and fire a warning shot, we've dealt with pirate hunters before." Elise replied annoyedly.

Desiré bounded up the steps. "No, Madame. These are not pirate hunters, it is too big of a ship."

Elise whipped her head to the rear of the ship and quickly raised her spyglass to her eyes. Through its lens she could see a large frigate with billowing white sails. "Hell, looks like twenty-four cannons with two puckle guns at its fo'c'sle. We aren't gunned enough for a fight." Elise admitted.

"Sparrow you are not suggesting…" Norrington began.

" _Captain_ Sparrow." Elise spat. "Do not question my orders or I'll have you on privy duty with the shovel mysteriously thrown overboard." She shoved him aside and placed her hands on the wooden rails and looked intently at the ship growing near. "Desiré, prepare to meet some old friends."

Norrington looked to the first mate for more understanding, but all the man did was press his lips together and then turn to shout, "Men, prepare to be boarded!"

Within minutes the ship was side by side with the _Wrath of Barinthus_ , a long wooden plank bridging the gap between the two. Several men dressed like Spanish traders crossed the threshold. Behind them strode their captain, a stocky man with greying hair and a groomed moustache curling upward with the help of styling balm. His buckled shoes clacked against the wood deck and stopped before Elise, with Desiré standing protectively at her right side. The two captains stood in silence for a beat, the heat of their gazes holding hostility.

"Captain Gomez." Elise said, finally.

The Spanish captain looked at her ship with distaste and brushed a phantom speck of dust off his white and gold overcoat. "Hola, I do believe this is the ship of Captain Sparrow, is it not?"

"It is." Stated Desiré.

"I wish to speak with the captain." The man spoke apathetically as he cleaned underneath his nailbeds, as though he had already grown tired of this conversation.

Elise spoke this time, "You are speaking with her."

The man's eyes darted up, his interest sparked. "Ah. I remember you." Norrington furrowed his eyebrows, unsure on the nature of this interaction. "I'd never forget a pretty face such as yours." Elise did not even attempt to mask her revulsion of the man's lurking stare. "However, I don't remember such long hair… It was Sean was it not? Always wearing oversized clothes and a little hat." Captain Gomez shifted his attention to the soldier beside the pirate. "I see you've acquired a pet." Norrington stood unfazed but his hand twitched unnoticeably to his sword strapped to his hip. "Now tell me, _girl_ , why was it when I asked for the ship of Captain Sparrow was I directed toward this…" He looked around at the splintered wood railings and fraying rope and left his sentence unfinished.

Desiré answered for his captain, "You are speaking to Captain Elise Sparrow, demonstrate some respect."

Gomez smirked at the heat of Desiré's conviction. "Ah, Desiré. I miss having you on board the _Maiden's Treasure_. You always had a way of keeping our cargo in line. I never quite understood it. Perhaps it was the unspoken language between beasts of the jungles." Desiré clenched his jaw together but otherwise showed no reaction to the little man's jabs at his origins.

"Captain Gomez is a slave trader for the East India Trading Company." Elise explained to Norrington. "Desiré and I were a part of his crew before leaving for better company." She raised an eyebrow at the stocky little man still smirking at his wit.

"Yes, but that does not explain what he is doing here." Norrington stated.

Elise stood silently awaiting Gomez's explanation. After a few moments, the slave trader finally returned his attention to the conversation and proclaimed, "I was commissioned by an anonymous investor to reclaim a possession from one Jack Sparrow." Elise furrowed her eyebrows, trying to understand the implications of this.

"Wait, but-" Norrington began but was quickly interrupted.

"I do not have time for this." Captain Gomez waved his hand dismissively. "My investor grows ever more impatient and my ship's provisions grow thin. We will take three fourths of yours and twenty men." He looked at the aged and weathered crew surrounding them, "I'm sure I can find some kind of work for them, like scraping the scum off the bilge."

"And for what reason would I provide you with this?" Elise asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You forget. You are pirates. I could turn you in to the nearest English port and acquire a great reward. You should thank me for asking so little of you, my precious." Elise felt the urge to vomit once more but regained her composure enough to spit profanity that would shame even the hardest of seamen. "How dare you insult the great Captain Gomez!" he cried furiously.

Elise narrowed her eyes and took a step toward the man, Desiré's muscles tensing, preparing to jump into action if needed. The pirate spoke in low voice, "And what would your men think of their _great_ captain if they knew about that night in your chambers? How you sent for me in the dead of night, poured me wine," she took more steps forward and the man retreated as she grew nearer and nearer. "how you tried to bed me, but as soon as you found what really was in my pants you realized your mistake." The two men accompanying Gomez looked in disbelief upon their captain. "Would your crew really respect a man who lures young boys into his cabin and fills them with wine to do with them what you want?"

Elise was inches from the man's face. So close, she could smell the waxing balm upon his moustache, which was now quivering in rage. Her voice came so quietly, so that only Gomez could hear her whisper, "Get off my ship." The man, shaking in anger, turned heel and marched back to his frigate, barking at his men to follow. The wooden plank bridging the gap was slid away and the _Maiden's Treasure_ began to sail away.

Elise retreated to the helm of the ship with Norrington following close behind. "What the hell was that?" questioned Norrington, his mind still reeling from the previous encounter.

"It was an issue that is now resolved. It is best to forget it and move on." Elise replied without looking at him.

Norrington, unsatisfied by this answer, grabbed her slender shoulder and turned her to face him. "What did he mean by his "investor"? It can't be Beckett could it?"

"I suppose your lord doesn't have complete faith in us after all."

Norrington looked over her shoulder to the large ship sailing away from them and furrowed his brow in confusion. Suddenly, an audible crack of gunpowder filled the air and the commodore's eyes widened as he shouted, "Get down!" He wrapped his arms around the pirate and slammed them both to the deck as a cannonball hurled over them.

Elise, who was lying flat upon Norrington's chest, looked up to see more cannonballs being fired at her and her ship. She scrambled to her feet and shouted the crew to their stations. "Hoist the anchor, ready the sails, get us the hell out of here!"

Norrington, after managing to stand up, cried after her, "What? We need to load the cannons!"

She whipped her head around and glared at him, "We can't take them, we're completely outgunned. If we stick to the coast and maneuver around rocks, we can lose them. We're smaller and faster."

"But we-"

"I will not risk my ship and my men!" Norrington heard the conviction in her voice and saw the fire in her eyes and shut his mouth and nodded, running to help the men. "Desiré prepare for shallow sailing!"

"Aye Captain!" he replied.

Elise spun the wheel towards the cliffs of the Caribbean island nearby. She casted a glance behind her to see the _Maiden's Treasure_ gaining speed on them. She pushed the ship closer to the edge, swinging the ship's hull back and forth to avoid collisions with the sharp rocks jutting out of the blue water. Several times the ship came too close and Elise could hear the snapping of wooden planks as the rocks tore through. "Get some men below to patch up the holes!" she shouted above the commotion.

After several moments Desiré came running up the stairs. "We're taking on too much water, we have to dock Captain!"

Elise shook her head. "We have to lose them!"

Desiré pointed to a small island nestled within the midst of a large ring of rocks. "There! They won't be able to get through. We can stay the night and repair the ship."

The pirate captain grimaced and then after a moment spun the wheel towards the beach of the island. "Prepare to drop anchor! Ready the boats!" The men obeyed her commands and just as the sun was beginning to dip beneath the water, the entire crew was paddling their way toward land.

Elise watched their pursuers circle the island, and, once realizing they could never sail through without shredding their hull, turned and began to sail away. Most of the crew looked relieved, but Elise still felt uneasy.

As nightfall approached, men took on several duties for the night. Some built fires, some carved at wooden sticks to spear for fish. Others went on an exhibition for lumber to repair the ship. Desiré took lead of that group as he knew of trees that would provide tree sap to aid in the patching of the holes. Several hours later, the entire crew was asleep with only Elise, Desiré, and Norrington awake by the dying fire.

"I'll take first watch." Said Elise.

"No." said Desiré. "You must sleep." Elise looked ready to protest, but felt the ache of fatigue in her bones and decided not to fight it. She repositioned herself against the palm tree she leaned on and soon was fast asleep. The first mate looked to Norrington, "You should sleep too." The man shook his head and Desiré did not insist.

After an hour of silence, the two listening to the waves of the ocean and the soft breathing of Elise, Norrington spoke. "Why did you choose to serve under her?"

He was met with silence. "I mean, you joined her in leaving Gomez, and then choose to be captained by a woman." More silence. "You could have sailed under anyone, but you choose this."

Desiré finally replied, "I swore to protect her."

"Why?"

The man sat silently for a moment, then said, "Back in France, when I was a slave, I had a daughter." Desiré's face suddenly grew wistful. "Her name was Collette. She was beautiful, more beautiful than her mother or any woman in France. She was smart and kind, even through slavery." His expression grew dark. "When I escaped, I could not bring her with me. I do not know where she is now." Desiré looked towards sleeping Elise. "I will never get back my daughter, Elise is the closest thing I have to one now. I promised myself I would do right by her, especially if I cannot for my Collette."

Norrington looked into the dimly glowing embers and felt nothing but sympathy for this man. He knew true loss, but chose to find purpose within Elise. Norrington shifted his gaze to the woman and, for the first time, began to see something else than a pirate.


End file.
